Rafael Bernardino López y Rumbea

Rafael Bernardino López y Rumbea was an Ecuadorian soldier born on October 2, 1908, in Rioverde, Esmeraldas. He migrated to the United States in 1939 and enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II. Serving as a rifleman, he participated in key battles including the landings at Utah Beach and the offensive in Cherbourg. Notably, he became a U.S. citizen within six months of enlistment due to his military service, and after the war, he settled in New York, working as an electrician.